Pages

Earth Day

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Happy Earth Day!

That may be the first time I've ever written or "said" those words. Yes, we recycle buckets, I take my own bags to the grocery store, and I buy many consigned items. But, I get highly annoyed by celebrities and corporations that preach "green," while also profiting from hyper-consumerism. The notion that we need more stuff. I think we (that includes me) would be better stewards of God's creation if we consumed less.

Which makes me think about my Grandma Blanche. She was born on September 20, 1907. She died on January 1, 2000. She lived through the Depression, and remembered it. She was thrifty and hard working. When I knew her, she lived in a modest apartment, owned a small, blue Ford, and just drove it around town. Her carbon footprint was small.

3 Responses to “Earth Day”

This comment is from your dad standing behind me - he said that he heard his mother say, "The last thing I want is for a child to be named after me!" Her whole name was Mattie Blanche McDonald Armstrong, and for her entire life she didn't like the names Mattie or Blanche. About her work ethic, your dad remembers that his mother got up at 4:30 on Monday mornings to do the laundry in a wringer washer and hang it up to dry outside before she went to work in his dad's grocery store. She was the epitome of a hard working woman, but she thought she had it easy compared to her parents.

I love this. The notion that we have too much stuff, hoard too much stuff, and buy more stuff when we already have it at home has been on ny mind for about 2years now. Being in Ukraine and other EUro countries has certainly reinforced that. One of the things I loved most about Italy was hanging my clothes on a line and having them completely dry in the AM. So proud of you for doing this, Court. Can't wait to read more!